This application claims priority of DE 198 53 365.9, filed Nov. 19, 1998, the disclosure of which is expressly incorporated by reference herein.
The present invention relates to a system and a process for forming workpieces of the type having at least one forming tool.
Systems of this general type are known in conjunction with corresponding processes, for example, as described in DE 38 32 499 A1 or DE 39 05 069 A1 and EP 04 39 684 B1 or EP 05 47 190 B1. The workpieces produced by such known systems usually are sheet metal pieces, and the most varied forming processes are used, such as deep-drawing, pressing, cutting or is impressing.
Since very large workpieces are usually produced, as a rule, very large forming tools are also required whose masses must be accelerated and braked during each working cycle or stroke of the forming system. On one hand, this disadvantageously requires very large expenditures of material for producing the forming tools and, on the other hand, a very large amount of energy is required.
An even more serious problem concerns the very long development periods for the forming tools. For example, in the development of a motor vehicle, these development periods represent a very large fraction of the entire development time. Possible changes on the forming tools disadvantageously lead to high expenditures.
An object of the present invention is, therefore, to provide a system for forming workpieces by way of which, as a result of reduced expenditures with respect to material and development, an identical or better forming result can be achieved than by known forming systems. Furthermore, the largest possible amount of flexibility is to be achieved during the retooling, in that the adaptation to another product can take place as much as possible by reprogramming.
According to the invention, this object has been achieved by providing that at least one machining device with a local energy feed for machining the workpieces is provided as a separate station within the forming system.
According to the invention, the forming system now has a machining device with a local energy feed so that the workpieces machined in the forming system can be subjected to an additional machining or a machining which replaces the previously required steps. Such a machining device has the advantage that it has a very low mass and, in addition, can be arranged on the existing forming system. Thereby, for the machining, it does not have to be moved in an oscillating manner and therefore not with a large consumption of energy.
Furthermore, it is advantageous that the system according to the invention for the adaptation to other products can be very easily reprogrammed. Possible changes on the workpieces to be produced can very easily be taken into account without major expenditures.
In the present context, a local energy feed means that the extent of the energy-affected zone or of the machining range without a relative movement between the workpiece and the machining device is small in comparison to the dimension of the workpiece.
A process-type solution carries out the machining of the workpieces with a local energy feed in the cycle of the system.
Concerning the general state of the art with respect to laser machining systems in machine tools, reference is made to DE 34 10 913 A1, DE 41 28 194 C2 and to EP 00 08 773 B1.